Nearly three dozen states at one point allowed forced sterilization, known as eugenics. North Caroli
(24 Jun 2014)
(nats - What am I worth? What am I worth?)
SHE GAVE VOICE TO THOUSANDS OF MEN AND WOMEN.
VICTIMS OF FORCED STERILIZATION.
THREE YEARS AFTER A NORTH CAROLINA STATE PANEL AGREED TO COMPENSATE VICTIMS OF ITS EUGENICS PROGRAM,
VERY FEW HAVE JOINED ELAINE RIDDICK IN SPEAKING OUT.
SOUNDBITE (English), Elaine Riddick, Eugenics Victim.
"This is very embarrassing, humiliating, and degrading. A lot of people, they got married, they haven't even told their spouse and their children that this horrific crime, you know, happened to them."
BUT UNLESS VICTIMS COME FORWARD SOON�IT WILL BE TOO LATE.
THE STATE SET ASIDE TEN MILLION DOLLARS FOR SURVIVORS OF THE PROGRAM, WHICH ENDED IN 1974.
THE DEADLINE TO FILE A CLAIM IS THE END OF THIS MONTH.
SOUNDBITE (English), Dee Jones, Office of Justice for Sterilization Victims
"Approximately 7,600 victims were a-sexualized, and or sterilized against their will."
DESPITE OUTREACH BY GROUPS LIKE THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA CENTER FOR CIVIL RIGHTS_
OF THE 18-HUNDRED BELIEVED TO STILL BE ALIVE, ONLY ABOUT 500 HAVE FILED CLAIMS SO FAR.
SOUNDBITE Jennifer Marsh, Director of Research, UNC Center for Civil Rights.
"This program went on for many, many years. So probably the bulk of the victims are no longer with us. And its just tragic that its taken so long for us as a state to face this and then to reach out to help people."
NEARLY THREE DOZEN STATES AT ONE POINT ALLOWED FORCED STERILIZATION OF THOSE DEEMED UNFIT, BUT ONLY NORTH CAROLINA HAS AGREED TO PAY VICTIMS.
THE MONEY WILL BE DIVIDED EQUALLY AMONG VERIFIED CLAIMANTS�.AT THE CURRENT SIGN-UP RATE, THE MOST RIDDICK COULD GET IS AROUND
TWENTY-THOUSAND DOLLARS.
SOUNDBITE (English), Elaine Riddick, Eugenics Victim.
"You took something out of me, something that was God-given and you're saying that that's all that was worth."
RIDDICK'S JOURNEY ISN'T OVER YET... IT WILL BE AT LEAST ANOTHER YEAR BEFORE ANY CLAIMS ARE PAID OUT.
CINDY SHARP, ASSOCIATED PRESS
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